Today was a special day. Consider how much fun new parents have with Baby's first Christmas. They deceive themselves into thinking that Baby knows what is going on. They take picture and laugh with the child. It is great fun.

Now consider. Today Wakana helped put op a Christmas tree. This will be her first Christmas. We had great fun putting up the (ulp! Fake!) tree and decorating it. Most of my traditional decorations are lost in the mess after the fire but I hope they will surface soon.

She is enjoying the secrecy of Christmas Presents and the family game of "I know something you don't know!" And the magic of Christmas has even affected her in other ways. She had to write a special assignment because she missed the final classes at the English Language Institute because of the fire. She mailed it to them from Japan and they seemed to have lost it. She did not keep a copy. This was a tragedy and one that seemed hopeless until today she found out that it was just delivered to the office where it needs to be! Magic!